Chapter 20
CHAPTER
TWENTY
ANDREA
Once I’m out of our apartment building and on the street, I take a sharp right down the first alley and chuck my smoothie against the brick wall.
I scream. I kick the dumpster, and I give two quick jabs to a stacked collection of cardboard boxes.
I’m sure someone has heard me, even stopped to watch the crazy girl in the alleyway, but I don’t fucking care.
How?! How the fuck has he managed to get his slimy hands on her?
! This is my fault. I should have been more thorough.
I’ve looked into each job she’s had up until now.
They all checked out. Nothing was tied back to them.
I could have sworn Connor was the owner of The Black Sheep, but this!
“FUCK!” I kick the stack of boxes causing them to finally collapse in on themselves.
Should I inform them? No. If I do tell them, I need to know more information first. She’s not just working for a Murray, but now she’s dating the prodigal son!
He must know who she is. Cindel should have moved to New York, but I understood why she wanted to stay.
For the memories ingrained within the very bricks of this city…
so, she would never forget Theo. Cindel thinks that’s why they left.
To forget. If she only knew the truth… she’d hate me.
Picking up my bag from the place it fell in the alley; I shove past the collection of people who gathered to watch the short woman in business attire lose her shit on the building’s garbage.
I did, in fact, have a meeting this morning, but it wasn’t involving graphic design projects or freelance work.
That only takes a couple hours of my time and maybe two designs a month tops.
No, the rest of my time is reserved for the primary job. The reason why I’m here.
I make it across town in record time before entering an upscale restaurant on Northern Ave.
They weren’t open to the public yet, but I knew my appointment was already waiting for me at a table in the back.
I set my bag down, across from the boy in a red hoodie and pants low enough they rested more on his thighs than his waist. Sitting down, I cross my legs to the side and lean onto the small table with my elbows.
“What have you got?”
The young man from a local barber shop sits before me. He’s just one set of eyes and ears I have around the city. “Not much. He came for a trim. Seemed anxious about some kind of date with a girl named Kendall,” he informs me.
“Cindel!” I correct, already irritated he’s getting shit wrong.
“Right!” He tries to pacify me with a shy smile. “Said something about his father being here… said he’s going to fuck things up.”
Wait, his father? “Are you telling me Patrick Murray is back in the states?”
The kid’s eyes are downcast before looking back up to me, this time with conviction. “Yes! I remember he said; My father is back in town, and this girl means everything.”
Fuck. Now I have two Murrays on my radar. From what I understand, the other sibling isn’t involved in anything having to do with the family business. “Anything else?!” I press, irritated that I need to make more arrangements when I’m already stretched thin.
“No, ma’am.”
Ugh, ma’am. I’m not that old. “Fine. I’d like you to hand out some business cards for your shop on their side of town. Keep your ear to the ground. If anyone gets chatty about anything involving the Murrays, be sure to let me know.”
He nods. Right. On to stop number two. Without so much as a thanks, I drop a small roll of hundreds on the table for the kid to continue being my little snoop and head out.
I walk all the way to Park Street, before getting on the Green Line to head out to Boston College.
I had a source who wanted to speak in person.
I find myself reflecting on everything Cindel has been through.
All she’s faced, all she’s lost. I know she struggles.
She’s terrible at hiding things, especially her feelings.
If I continuously insist, she doesn’t see Eamon, I know it’s going to make her want to be with him more.
She’s also incredibly stubborn… and ridiculously naive.
No fault of her own. Cindel has been kept in the dark about everything.
Why can’t she just listen when I try to warn her?
I mean, look at that block head Brodi. I tried convincing her time and time again that he was no good, but did she listen?
! No… seriously, I question why she stayed with him so long.
I’m the one who told her parents about him in the first place.
Terri was in the car before I even hung up the phone.
Cindel was very surprised to see her mom show up unannounced for a visit.
After a long conversation, her mom returned to New York.
I think Cindel was able to placate everyone, insisting she found happiness with the grease monkey.
Although, I had a feeling she was trying to regain some kind of control over her life.
Her choices. Cindel convinced herself she was content, but really, I believe she was settling.
He was a cheating piece of shit, and I should have dealt with him myself, but I don’t think I could have lived with that.
Little did I know he would just up and vanish one day.
Maybe it was the tiny buddha I found on the subway that week.
Like a good luck charm, Brodi was, poof… gone!
I was introduced to Cindel in our first semester of college.
She had this magnetic personality. Everyone adored her.
She dreamt big and wanted nothing more than to create art and enjoy her life with the people she cared about.
I believe in karma, but I still don’t understand why good people are robbed of a full life, while the scum of the earth are resilient as a cockroach riding a twinkie into the apocalypse.
It’s been three years since her brother died.
I’ve tried my best to lift her up, but it was actually Brodi who helped her smile again.
That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to do anything about it.
Over time, Cindel started changing. Whether she was still working through the loss of Theo or something about her relationship with Brodi, she just wasn’t the same.
She jumped from job to job, sometimes working multiple positions at the same time, but she never put her fashion degree to good use.
Could it be that control thing again? Maybe.
Perhaps she figured if she didn’t take chances, she wouldn’t be disappointed.
Brodi disappearing was the best thing that could have happened to her.
Familiar with characters like him, he’s probably stolen enough money to move off grid and start that new life he always told Cindel about.
Thank fuck, because I was days away from putting a small slit on the brake line of his Harley.
I manage to grab a seat on the subway, positioning myself to watch the scrolling text until Boston College is displayed.
I have a connection there, someone who has knowledge beyond my reach.
I hoped they could shed some light on my current situation.
I had to know what Eamon’s intentions were with Cindel.
If I wanted to stay one step ahead of the Murrays, I needed to go back further.
The name of my stop rolls across the screen.
I stand with my shoulder bag and step onto the platform.
After about a two-minute walk I’m on the college campus, right on time.
I find the bench before the woven patinated fountain and take a seat.
Chilly moments pass before a thin framed, older woman stands before me.
Her thick red glasses are a stark contrast to her pale blue blazer and pencil skirt.
She stretches out her freckled hand, offering one of the hot, to-go cups in her hand.
“Nice to finally meet you in person, Andrea,” she greets with a mousy voice.
Taking the warm offering from her, I stand from the bench. “Hello, Mrs. Kent.”
She gives a tight-lipped smile, with a downcast glance and a nod. “Miss. Divorced, some years ago… please call me Moyra.”